If it's not obvious, I'm a big fan of Blue Hill at Stone Barns' food. I try and make it a point to get up there at least a couple times during the summer when you get a chance to not only taste the vegetal bounty of the region, but you actually get to see many of the vegetables and animals you're going to be dining on being raised on the working farm.

The drinks program is just as strong as the kitchen, featuring cocktails that start with seasonal fruits and vegetables, sometimes grown right on premises.

I stopped in last week with William Nazar, the Service Director and Assistant Sommelier to see what was going on behind the bar. As luck would have it, he was just finishing up his newest cocktail, the Sour Cherry Americano, and was happy to share the recipe.

Here's how it came about, in his own words:

I tasted the sour cherries and immediately thought of my favorite summer cocktail; an Americano. In this case the sourness of the cherries and the bitterness of Punt y Mes made a good substitute for the traditional flavors of Campari and sweet vermouth. I added some of our Blue Hill Gin to give it a little more drive and complexity. A big part of our cocktail program is keeping flavors intense but not palate-crushing and trying to keep alcohol levels in check so the you can still enjoy the wine and the meal after a cocktail.

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